ADILABAD: The State Government will now procure kanuga or pongamia kernel or seed under minimum support price (MSP) operations from March this year. This first of its kind activity in the country will see the APOILFED and District Cooperative Marketing Society (DCMS) jointly purchasing pongamia through designated centres, which are to be opened shortly.

D. Srinivas Rao, APOILFED Field Officer in Adilabad said the MSP fixed for the kernel is Rs. 10 per kg against the prevailing open market price of Rs. 6 per kg. Adilabad district has a pongamia seed production potential of over 20,000 quintals during the March to May season from the 70,000 fruit bearing trees.

Free saplings

"The Government has extended certain concessions for farmers who wish to take up pongamia plantation. It will provide seedlings and saplings free of cost besides making provisions for pits to be dug under the Andhra Pradesh Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme," revealed K. Malla Reddy, Assistant Business Manager, DCMS, Adilabad.

Explaining the point Mr. Srinivas Rao said during the three month season all that interested persons have to do is collect the fallen pongamia seeds with shell, break it open and bring the kernel to the purchase centres.

"A person can easily collect about 10 kg of kernel from trees which line the road and those that come up in waste lands. This will ensure that the person get Rs. 100 per day for his labour," he added.

Other uses

The seeds yield 30 to 35 per cent oil when crushed. This oil is used not only as bio-diesel but in soap industry and for cleaning leather. The current market price of this oil is about Rs. 30 per litre. The 65 per cent residue in the shape of oil cake is used as manure and is sold at Rs. 7 per kg. These statistics imply that the Government may not lose on procuring the seed at the MSP. Besides, the activity of bio-diesel plantation gets the needed thrust.

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